


Changes

by orphan_account



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur doesn't get stabbed, BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Kinda dark?, Magic Revealed, Mentions of Morgana, No Slash, One Shot, POV Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 03:53:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20075698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: With each step he changed,Gradually shifting into someone new, someone he recognized. But he never broke his stride, eyes trained on his prey while stalking forward in graceful steps that seemed all to fluid for someone who still looked so old. Though, he supposed, he isn't anymore.The white waterfall of hair was now receding into a shock of unruly curls sitting atop his head.Silver making way for raven locks all too familiar.The long beard had disappeared, highlighting the jutting cheekbones with newly smooth skin.Every evidence of his supposed age gone. Leaving just a boy.A boy with glowing eyes.Merlin.





	Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I don't know what I'm doing but it's fine... probably. This was an idea that kinda got away from me but I think I managed to wrangle it into some sort of sensible story. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Incase you are confused! Here's the setting:  
-Mordred almost stabbed Arthur like in cannon but was stopped by Merlin  
-Merlin showed up still disguised as Dragoon  
-The POV is 3rd person semi-limited mainly focusing on Arthur and what he sees

With each step he changed,  
Gradually shifting into someone new, someone he recognized. But he never broke his stride, eyes trained on his prey while stalking forward in graceful steps that seemed all to fluid for someone who still looked so old. Though, he supposed, he isn't anymore.

The white waterfall of hair was now receding into a shock of unruly curls sitting atop his head.  
Silver making way for raven locks all too familiar.  
The long beard had disappeared, highlighting the jutting cheekbones with newly smooth skin.

Every evidence of his supposed age gone. Leaving just a boy.  
A boy with glowing eyes.  
Merlin. 

“Merlin?”  
He whispered, as if this vision would shatter if he dare spoke too loud.  
Because it was a vision... right?  
Some trick of the light  
Because there is no way Merlin is some powerful sorcerer.

Sorcerer  
The word itself seemed to dislodge something in him,  
“Magic” being used to explain away too many problems in his life.  
Magic! Yes!  
Magic is at fault here of course!  
This is simply some glamor meant to throw him off  
Well he would have to think of something more creative to fool him!

Once coming to this supposed conclusion he was able to refocus on the picture in front of him; fake merlin was now slowly but purposefully approaching a very shocked and increasingly pale Mordred who has yet to bother standing back up or reaching for his sword about two feet to his right.  
Fake merlin seemed to only focus on Mordred so Arthur, all though wary of what he would do, remained crouched with his sword hilt gripped firmly.  
Mordred had caught Arthur unaware and vulnerable and he’d be damned if he let his guard down now. 

When he was barely an arms reach from Mordred’s crouched form he stopped, and seemed to consider him for a minute with those storm blue eyes staring, evaluating the young man before him.

“Will you ever stop?”

Such a simple, short sentence.  
Yet so shocking and confusing, one glance at Mordred’s face showed he shared this testimate, his mouth agape like a fish on a hook. A mantra of whatdoesthatmean ohgodimgoingtodie whatdoesthatMEAN playing in his mind and over his features, panic clear even from afar.  
Fake merlin somehow either didn’t notice or did not care to see the boys clear distress as he waited patiently for an answer.

Finally he seems to get the message and opens his mouth, only for nothing to come out, he cleared his throat and tried again, still staring up at fake merlin with wide eyes.

“W-what…?”

It seemed like he had wanted to say more but all he managed to stutter out was that one word.  
Fake merlin did not even sigh or roll his eyes like he was dealing with an idiot or have any other merlin-like reaction. This was logical, of course, seeing as it was not Merlin but it unnerved Arthur to see his emotional friends face so... emotionless.

“Will you ever stop trying to kill Arthur? To kill me? To follow Morgana? To betray? To spit on all that has been given to you? To make my life just that much harder? To threaten all I love? To endanger all I have ever worked toward? Will. You. Stop?”

Now if the original sentence had been shocking this was world shattering. As everything Arthur thought he knew was ripped out from underneath and he found himself falling scrambling to make purchase on an oil cliff of lies.  
There was no way!  
Merlin?  
Only Merlin could know all of what fake merlin had just said.  
Only Merlin.  
But that would mean?  
Fake merlin may not be so fake after all  
Real merlin may not be so real after all. 

Mordred somehow became an even paler shade of gray, and even started shaking like a leaf in late fall under the harsh gaze of fake Merlin.  
It was quite a pitiful sight that even Arthur, who had almost been stabbed by the man felt sorry for his current predicament.  
Somehow, from somewhere, Mordred pulled out enough courage to straighten and finally look Merlin in the eyes.

“A-as long as Ar-Arthur is king, we will fight you. And I don’t regret that.”

The small amount of determination fled his eyes, as soon as it was there it was gone but he seemed unable to avert his eyes baring his soul and awaiting his judgement.

Arthur watched and waited as Merlin stared down,  
then he sighed, coming to a conclusion, though perhaps not the one he wanted.  
He steeled himself as they all held their breath.  
He looked down, closed his eyes, and faced his decisions. 

“Then neither shall I.”

And slowly for the second time today Arthur saw Merlin change.

It started in his eyes.  
Didn’t it always?  
Stormy blue clouds gave way to golden sunlight.  
Bright and burning and brilliant  
Such a pure molten color  
He had never seen something so beautiful  
So terrifyingly beautiful  
Breath lodged in his throat and the world seemed to still,  
The noise of war and the screams of the dying faded to white noise in the presence of such immense concentrated power flowing freely from the lithe form of Arthur’s best friend.

It seemed unnatural, for someone to have so much power,  
Yet it all felt, right  
As if it being any other way would be unnatural in and of itself.  
And Arthur wasn’t scared, he was shocked, yes and a bit betrayed, but not scared.  
And in some deep part of himself that he very much liked to pretend didn’t exist, he knew that this changed nothing, that it was always and will always be him and merlin against the world.  
Was what he doing right now not proof of this very fact?  
Proof that Merlin is on his side?  
Yes, he decided, everything else can wait until the war is over

And just as he came to this conclusion,  
The heavens opened up to rain hell upon all who stood in his, no, their way.  
Turning his enemies to dust starting with the man in front of Merlin. 

“I’m sorry”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!!  
Hope you enjoyed!  
I'm not new to creative writing but this is my first time doing something like this, It was really fun!  
I don't know whether or not I will continue to write fan fiction. This really was just an idea I got stuck in my head and I was just itching to write down. I even ended up doing it in one 5 hr sitting! 
> 
> Thank you again! <3


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